GoF 3

I've made no secret of the fact that I think the pacing of GoF is pretty bad. You start off with one of the most interesting chapters in canon and then get immediately bogged down in short, exposition-heavy chapters where not a whole lot happens. I actually considered doubling up some of these early chapters to get to the "good parts" faster, but that'd be cheating. I'm sure if we devote our analytic powers to the task, we can find points of interest. Onward!


GoF 3: The Invitation

No matter how much Aunt Petunia wailed that Dudley was big-boned, and that his poundage was really puppy-fat, and that he was a growing boy who needed plenty of food, the fact remained that the school outfitters didn't stock knickerbockers big enough for him any more. [...] Dudley had reached roughly the size and weight of a young killer whale. (29-30)

And so Petunia puts Dudley (and Harry and Vernon) on a diet. I understand the point JKR's making about Dudley's parents spoiling him, but the characterization of fat people in the HP books still bums me out. (Yes, I know I say this every book. I'm sure I'll say it again when we get around to Umbridge in OotP.) What starts out as Dahlesque grotesquerie in the earlier books starts to sound nastier as the portrayal of the Dursleys becomes increasingly realistic. I understand that Dudley isn't a nice guy and that Harry has reason to be resentful, but it still makes me cringe.

( In which I restrain myself from pointing out that birthday cake isn't good breakfast food, because lord knows I didn't eat any better when I was fourteen. )

Previous GoF posts are saved in memories here.

GoF 3

I've made no secret of the fact that I think the pacing of GoF is pretty bad. You start off with one of the most interesting chapters in canon and then get immediately bogged down in short, exposition-heavy chapters where not a whole lot happens. I actually considered doubling up some of these early chapters to get to the "good parts" faster, but that'd be cheating. I'm sure if we devote our analytic powers to the task, we can find points of interest. Onward!


GoF 3: The Invitation

No matter how much Aunt Petunia wailed that Dudley was big-boned, and that his poundage was really puppy-fat, and that he was a growing boy who needed plenty of food, the fact remained that the school outfitters didn't stock knickerbockers big enough for him any more. [...] Dudley had reached roughly the size and weight of a young killer whale. (29-30)

And so Petunia puts Dudley (and Harry and Vernon) on a diet. I understand the point JKR's making about Dudley's parents spoiling him, but the characterization of fat people in the HP books still bums me out. (Yes, I know I say this every book. I'm sure I'll say it again when we get around to Umbridge in OotP.) What starts out as Dahlesque grotesquerie in the earlier books starts to sound nastier as the portrayal of the Dursleys becomes increasingly realistic. I understand that Dudley isn't a nice guy and that Harry has reason to be resentful, but it still makes me cringe.

( In which I restrain myself from pointing out that birthday cake isn't good breakfast food, because lord knows I didn't eat any better when I was fourteen. )

Previous GoF posts are saved in memories here.